Thursday, November 7, 2013

Weekly Log 4-Nov to 10-Nov-2013

1st full week of November. I do enjoy running in the crisp, cool fall air.

Monday: 0
Planned day off.

Tuesday: 0
Really disappointed with myself for not getting up to run before work, my only window for running today. Driving to the train station and seeing two separate runners in the dark did not help.

Wednesday: 7
Off to Avondale to run on Sunday's race course. FiveK had a workout planned for us that really kicked my butt:
2 x 1-mile (5:38, 5:39), followed by 2 x 800 (2:52, 3:04). I was completely spent by that 2nd 800 and just wanted to stop. But, if you want race well, you do have to get in practice, so next up to finish off the series was 5 x (30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy). Really tiring for me, but I need it.

Thursday: 4
4:35AM start on local roads in the dark, wind, and rain. I'd like to say I finally found the fortitude this season to "man up" and run early morning in the dark, but the reality is I had a partner in crime to keep me motivated. FiveK showed up and we got at it. The first quarter-mile was tough with 20-mph wind gusts and getting soaked, but we got into a rhythm, and it really wasn't bad. Average 6:56 pace, and even unknowingly banged out a 6:36 third mile. Hopefully this is the resumption of many early morning runs for me.

Friday: 11
Double Down Friday
AM: 5 miles with Mike B in Barn Island. Had all 1,000 acres to ourselves for just a fun morning run. Saw a pheasant scurry right in front of us (fortunately no hunters chasing it), and some eagle-like bird with a huge wingspan take of in front of us that we were afraid would pick us up and carry us off to its lair. We needed a Hammett for identification.

This was the size of the eagles we saw taking off from Barn Island;just like the ones in Lord of the Rings that picked up people and carried them off.

PM: 6 miles with a group run of 6 in Woody Hill. Started off at 4PM in daylight, romped through the highlights of Woody Hill, and finished up in the dark just after 5PM. I would have liked to have kept running, but it was getting tougher to sense my way in the dark. The mystery of the Wahaneeta gate being locked when we arrived and unlocked we departed was solved: Westerly Land Trust advised me that they opened it for National Grid to come in over the weekend to electrify the cabin.

Disappointing mileage volume; really want to get it up to 40 and above as a regular week. On a bright note, I had a lot of fun running a double set of trail runs on Friday and racing with some of the crew on Sunday. Ideally, would like to get back into Burlingame one more time before next Sunday's Li'l Rhody, which is always a good time.